not all men but somehow always a man…

take my rating with a grain of salt as i am just not one for thrillers with ten billion POVs and characters to keep track of… this is only my second book of Lisas but i was as underwhelmed with this one as i was with “none of this is true” both of which i felt it was interesting until it wasnt. by no means is it a bad book its just not one of my favorite formats of books so it was hard to keep me in interested.

A great psychological thriller from Lisa Jewell. I was absolutely hooked from the start. What kept me from giving it 5 stars is that it was a little too long (almost 400 pages) so I kept thinking of things that weren't necessary to the plot. 

This one was very TWISTY, which made it tedious to get through. You had to suspend belief just a bit because if I was Martha he would've been out the door!

Soooo, this was a good one for sure, but not as good as Then She Was Gone. 

https://www.mandimoore.com/january-book-review-2025/

GOD! This book was hard to put down and made my head spin wondering what was going to happen!

I never thought I could hate a character so much but Lisa did an amazing job at making me want to punch the MMC in the face! He was a true villain with the qualities that made you realize he wasn’t going to repent for his sins.

I enjoyed the ending so much and loved how the author wrapped it up. She did a fantastic job making it easy to follow along throughout the chapters too.

I don’t think stories about women getting scammed are for me…. I wish there were a few more twists or push back from the women during the novel rather than just the last 10%. I also found it fairly predictable. Still a Lisa Jewell fan though!!

Thank you for the ARC <3

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

This was one of my most anticipated books of 2025 and it really let me down. We follow a con man and a bunch of women who get duped by him.

Basically, this whole book was just listening to women be dumb and fall for this guys antics. He wasn't even very smart or anything, the women were just so dumb! I am so sad that I really disliked this book.

I hope others love it.

WOWZA!!! What a tangled web we weave! Whew! Lisa Jewell kept me on my toes the entire book and left me wanting more! This became the ultimate page turner for me! Readers need to be on their game and pay close attention because Lisa Jewell has spun such a tangled web that spins one way and then the other way in this twisted tale! Secrets, lies, manipulation, twists, and turns all come into play in this riveting, shocking, wonderfully written, and tense book!!!!

Nina and her daughter Ash are devastated when Nina's husband and Ash's father, Paddy Swann is pushed into the path of a train! Nina thought she would never recover from such a loss until she met Nick...

Martha is a florist living with her husband, Al and her children. Al's job takes him away constantly and while they both work, they always have money problems....

Holy Moly! This book is twisted, jaw dropping, shocking, and intense!!!! I had a lot of fun reading this book. There are a lot of characters and, as I mentioned, one needs to stay on their game while reading this book! There are also some creepy scenes as well that might have the hair standing up on the back of your neck.

I went through many emotions and had various thoughts while reading this book. I did my fair share of booing and hissing at one of the characters and my neck is sore from shaking my head at other characters.

Lisa Jewell did a fantastic job of creating tension in this book. The plot is well thought out and left me reeling. I had to get my barring a few times while reading and loved every second of it. Lisa Jewell has delivered once again and left me in awe!

Gripping, thrilling, jaw dropping, shocking, and twist filled!

This was a fun book!! I was a little confused for the first 50%. Once it clicked, it was a total roller coaster ride.

Overall I enjoyed this book. It took me a little while to get into the groove of the myriad of characters and how they all fit together, but once I did the plot pulled together well. My one complaint is that I did have to suspend my disbelief--there is no way so many women would accept the great amount of the main character's strange behavior, and that made the story not realistic to me. But really, most thrillers aren't. The solid writing, twists and turns, and satisfying ending made up for that though.

This is Lisa Jewell at her finest - a keeps-you-guessing page-turner that you'll stay up at night to finish reading. Some wee plot holes that I was willing to suspend disbelief over, but definitely one of my favourites of hers so far. Always a slam dunk and definitely one of my favourite authors writing in this genre right now. She keeps getting better!

This book was absolutely captivating! After suffering from a reading slump for a whole month, this book grabbed my attention and had me constantly returning to it to find out what would happen next. Jewell writes with her iconic perspective-switching narrative style, leaving readers on the edge of their seat as they try to make sense of how each perspective fits together. This might be my new favorite Jewell!

I am a HUGE Lisa Jewell fan and I absolutely believe this is her best work yet. The way she was able to seamlessly blend the alternating timelines and narratives in this story deserves a medal. This British twist on a "Dear John" tale about a disgusting narcissist surprisingly has a lot of heart and very realistic and complex female characters. I was captivated by each layer as they began to unfold and intertwine. I went in 100% blind to this book and I'm so glad I did!

Lisa Jewell delivers another gripping psychological thriller in Don't Let Him In, a chilling tale of deception, obsession, and buried secrets.

Three women—Nina, her daughter Ash, and Martha—find themselves unknowingly linked by the same enigmatic man. Nina, grieving her late husband, is drawn to Nick Radcliffe’s charm, while Ash senses something is off and starts digging into his past. Meanwhile, Martha’s husband Alistair has been disappearing on mysterious work trips, leaving her questioning everything. As their lives intertwine, the truth that emerges is far more sinister than they ever imagined.

With Jewell’s signature suspense and intricate character dynamics, this tense, fast-paced novel keeps readers on edge until the final revelation. Fans of psychological thrillers won’t want to miss this unsettling and unputdownable read.

4.5 ★ Following the funeral of restauranteur Paddy Swann, who was pushed into the path of an oncoming train by a local schizophrenic man, his widow Nina receives a gift in the mail from his old restaurant buddy Nick Ratcliffe.As the two begin to grow closer, Nina’s daughter Ash worries that Nick is not who he seems.

Across town, Martha is dealing with an infant, two children from her first marriage, her struggling florist shop and an absentee husband who Martha begins to distrust. But as a connection begins to form between these two women and their relationships, they begin to realize there is something sinister at play.

I have never heard something described as a “kaleidoscopic thriller” and yet that is a perfectly apt description for this captivating and very nuanced new thriller from Lisa Jewell. From start to finish I was completely intrigued, with no less than dozens of questions at any given moment. I was fully immersed in the lives of these characters, both in the past and in the present, particularly Nina’s daughter Ash, who inadvertently takes on the detective role of this story.

While there were some elements I was able to predict, I did try to go along for the ride without getting too far ahead, and I think this helped me to enjoy it more. By the time I turned the last page, I came away fully satisfied with this story and its ultimate conclusion.

Of note - there was a strange POV shift at times, for example the book is an omniscient third person narrator, but at times would refer to another character as “dad instead of Paddy”. While that did throw me off at times, it doesn’t take away from the story, and this may be edited out in the final.

Read if you like:
▪️domestic suspense
▪️nail biting stories
▪️cat and mouse games
▪️ensemble casts
▪️multiple timelines/POVs
▪️BA Paris

Thank you Atria for the advanced copy.

Don’t Let Him In is an absolute gem of a thriller! Lisa Jewell has outdone herself with this one. The plot is so cleverly crafted, filled with suspense, and every twist was more shocking than the last. I couldn’t stop reading—every chapter kept me on the edge of my seat.

What I loved most was the depth of the characters. They were real and relatable, yet full of secrets that kept unraveling in the most unexpected ways. The writing is atmospheric, and the tension builds slowly but powerfully until it reaches a climax that left me breathless.

This book is perfect for anyone who loves dark, compelling stories that leave you questioning everything. It’s hands down my favorite from Lisa Jewell, and I can't recommend it enough!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

Lisa Jewel is one of my favorite authors and once again she did not disappoint. This is a great psychological thriller that not only is frustrating because the women can't see the con beyond the facade this man presents but also has many twists you don't anticipate.

I couldn't put the book down until I knew the ending. Another great read.

4.7 Stars - A big thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC of 'Don't Let Him In'! If you’re a fan of 'Dirty John' or 'The Con', this is definitely a story for you.

Lisa Jewell has long been one of my favorite authors, so when I got my hands on this ARC, I rushed to finish my current read just so I could dive in. While I wouldn’t say this is Lisa’s BEST book, it certainly didn’t disappoint—easily my second favorite. As a true crime lover, I was hooked by the sheer amount of theft, deceit, manipulation, and downright psychotic behavior woven throughout the story.

The only reason I can’t give it a full 5 stars is due to a couple of small plot holes. How did this man manage to con so many women without anyone catching on??? Emma, the daughter of one of his original victims, was sharp and determined—especially after her mom went missing—so it felt a bit off that she didn’t dig deeper. Also, the unresolved moment when John entered the water really stuck with me. His two younger sons, who were far more fit, went after him, yet the book never explains what actually happened.

That said, I loved every second of this book, and it kept me thoroughly entertained from start to finish!

you can always count on Lisa Jewel to deliver and delivered is just what she did with “don’t let him in”. It started out a little slow but it didn’t take long to have me at the edge of shit, needing to finish before i can close my eyes and go to bed.

Just read an amazing thriller by Lisa Jewell.. I literally got sucked into this story so much. Let's just say a character was a true Pychopath and left devastion in lives of others. I was so engaged to see what was going to happen next. Even though I was so disgusted by a particular character.. well done..
Thanks NetGalley for the read. Recommended read!!!

This thriller reminds me of those TV specials you occasionally see about men who scam woman after woman leaving them broke and still thinking they want him. It started a bit slow, but once it picked up it was a good read.

So many names of couples! I had to take notes on a paper to keep track of all these couples: Nick and Nina, Al and Martha, Damian and Amanda, and others. Then add the children and stepchildren.
The man in each couple is focused on money, money, money ... he gets the woman to sell the house or give him her inheritance or whatever money she has.
I skipped the middle part of the book because it was repetitive.
The women eventually get together. And they "Don't Let Him In."